Right now, as I'm eagerly awaiting my 2nd package to arrive, I'm jamming to the short but sweet self-titled '09 EP from Magrudergrind. Their tight, raw, grinding punk sound with clear metal influences is showcased with perfect production via Kurt Ballou of Converge fame (whose CD Axe to Fall is in the mail as we speak). Hell it was even mastered by fellow grindcore guitar legend Scott Hull of Pig Destroyer. Loud, fast, and at the same time confusingly catchy. There isn't something about this grindcore band that I don't like.
And while most will label them as grindcore, Magrudergrind keep it very punk. Not in the "I gave myself a mohawk so I look like the guy from The Casualties" type of punk. I'm talking about the "fuck you I do what I want" style of punk that was essentially buried under a pile of un-purchased Give 'Em The Boot compilations in the backroom of your local Hot Topic sometime in the mid to late 90's. The album cover says it all with a crossed out musical note (an eighth note to be exact) placed directly under their moniker.
The album starts off with The Protocols of Anti-sound. Ringing guitars and a sound clip of what sounds like some Japanese warrior getting himself pumped up to go kamikaze someone set the atmosphere for Magrudergrind's inevitable ass-whooping on your ears. And, of course, the song doesn't stick around for too much longer afterwords. In true grindcore fashion, barely any of their songs touch the 2 minute mark. Because the songs are so short I'm going to go against my typical review style and just speak about the album as a whole rather than dissect each song. There's not much to say about a song that is less than 2 minutes long. Guitarist RJ Ober dishes out riff after riff without letting a single one go stale, or fall flat. Chris Moore's drumming is a frenzy of blast beats but still manages to have soul. Not something your typical drum machine can emmulate. Avi Kulawy displays a well honed grasp on key grindcore vocals such as shrieking and grunting. And not pig grunts. Fuck pig grunts. Major props to the band for sneaking in The Spirit of Truth on the tail-end of Heretics, just before Bridge Burners; an extra sludgy gem that wouldn't be out of place on any Eyehategod album. That you can find influences in Magrudergrind's music is a testament to the quality of their playing and diversity within their grind, and not because they're wearing it on their sleeves. Credit is also due for their ability to keep the listeners interest on this album. Many-a-grindcore band put out album after album that start to blur together after track 3. However, the punk feel of these songs, and the soundbites too, help keep the feeling fresh and despite the lyrical content, rather light-hearted. But any feeling you have that these dudes are probably real chill and would be fun to party with ends with closer Martyrs of the Shoah- a song about the Jews who were victims of this holocaust-related death camp. But don't let that change your mind about these guys, I'm sure they still love to party.
I'd give the music for this album a 9/10. Even though it's a grindcore album, it still manages to stay interesting and exude creativity. It's likely because of the bands ability to work outside of the genre, and incorporate some death metal, sludge, and punk into the songs. On paper it sounds like a major step away from their back catalog, but this album should do anything but alienate their core group of fans.
I'd give the album artwork an 8/10. It's very simplistic, harkening back to random picture collages like the ones found on Dead Kennedy's Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables linear notes, and Carcass's Reek of Putrefaction, only less muddled together. The DIY feel of the art goes perfect with the DIY feel of the music. Anything more would have just been awkward.
So, overall that gives the album a 17/20. Pretty damn good for a grindcore album where one would expect little substance. But I'd highly recommend this album to any fan of grindcore. Or if you're into punk or metal and want a great starting place for diving into the fast-paced, face-melting world of grindcore. I wouldn't recommend it to the douchebags who try to keep borders around their genres who'll likely argue that the album is "Too-This/That" and "Not Enough-This/That" to fit within their respective genre. You all can go fuck yourself. I'm looking forward to seeing these guys kick ass at the Maryland Deathfest this year in Baltimore. More on that later. Until then, I might go buy some Portal CD's so I can sing along to Glumerphonel when I see them at the Fest too.
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